A Secret History of Blue and White

ARTISTS: Stephen Benwell, Robin Best, Bronwyn Kemp, Vipoo Srivilasa Gerry Wedd

CURATOR: Stephen Bowers, Managing Director, JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design

A Secret History of Blue and White highlights the diversity and strength of Australian ceramics and positions it within European and Asian ceramic histories. While the reputation of Australian craft has grown steadily in Europe and North America, Asialink acknowledges the importance of sharing these developments within our region.

Curator Stephen Bowers has commissioned and selected works by prominent artists including Stephen Benwell, Robin Best, Bronwyn Kemp, Vipoo Srivilasa and Gerry Wedd. Each artist explores the potency of ‘blue and white’ within their practice, acknowledging its historical weight and cultural clichés. Bowers explores the assumptions and ceramic histories associated with ‘blue and white’ from the willow patterns of Europe to the treasured porcelains of China. Bowers also brings into focus the impact of technology and trade, revealing its effect on the development, interpretation and evolution of designs and patterns through to a secret history of the hand made object.

This project is a joint project between JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design and Asialink at The University of Melbourne.

This project acknowledges with gratitude the support of the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government’s arts funding and advisory body, through the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Images of Australia Branch for their role in the development of this project.

	Bronwyn Kemp (left) Banksia Dish 1995-96 porcelain with underglaze, cobalt blue pigment 310 x 305 x 90mm (right) Grevillea Dish 1995 porcelain with underglaze, cobalt blue pigment, 310x220x45mm photo: Grant Hancock
	Robin Best Silk Route 2006 unglazed cast porcelain in ceramic pencil, dimensions variable photo: Grant Hancock
	Gerry Wedd Arcadia 2006 hand-built, oxidation fired, cobalt underglze, dimensions variable Photo: Grant Hancock


Vipoo Srivilasa Five open Doors 2 2006 Cool Ice Porcelain 240 x 130 x 130 mm Courtesy: Uber Gallery, Australia and Surapon Gallery, Thailand Photo: Grant Hancock	Stephen Benwell Vase 2006 hand built porcelain underglaze painting 460 x 140 mm Courtesy: Niagara Galleries, Australia Photo: David McArthur

Exhibition dates & venues:

Hanoi, 12 – 26 September, 2006, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum
Singapore, 19 April - 7 May, 2007, Arts House
Bangkok, 7 February - 3 March, 2007 - Silpakorn University
Beijing, September 2007
Guangzhou, November 2007
Australia:
19 - 23 March, 2008, Object Gallery, Sydney
18 April - 21 June 2008, Wagga Waga RAG
11 July - 24 August 2008, Bathurst RAG
4 September - 12 October 2008, Artisan QLD
28 November 2008 - 1 February 2009, Gosford RAG
7 March 2009 - 12 April 2009, Tamworth RG
1 May 2009 - 31 May 2009, JamFactory SA

Asialink, The University of Melbourne

A Secret History of Blue and White